NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2014 Kia Sorento. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the speed odometer was inoperable, and the vehicle did not accelerate as intended. In addition, the contact stated that while stopped at a stop sign, the vehicle stalled and lost motive power. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that after attempting to start the vehicle several times, the vehicle started and operated without failure. The contact stated that the vehicle displayed no issues for several days however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed crank shaft position sensor. The contact was informed that the crank shaft position sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 147,000.
I have a 2014 Kia Sorento with a 3.3l engine. There was a catastrophic blow of the head gasket that resulted in engine temperatures spiking while driving on the interstate. This led to excessive deceleration and stopping on the side of the interstate. After researching, this is an ongoing problem with this vehicle. It even has a nickname, "Soft Block", from KIA using substandard materials to build their engines. I submitted a complaint against Kia through the NHTSA website on November 10th. Since that time, I have come to realize that Kia has issued a warranty extension for 2016-2017 Kia Sorento's with the 3.3l Lambda engine for cooling leaking and head gasket issues. What would be the process for expanding your open investigation (NHTSA Action Number: PE23019) to include the 2014 and 2015 model years of the Kia Sorento with the 3.3l engine? This is the exact same engine, and these exact same issues are prevalent in these years as well.
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the check engine, the MIL, and the ABS warning lights were illuminated. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Had the engine replaced before and it blew up again and the Kia dealer said the ignition wasn’t recalled after they said it was a fire hazzard
ENGINE FIRE, NO WARNING, VEHICLE WAS PARKED OUTSIDE AND OFF WHEN IT CAUGHT FIRE
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
1. Kia sold me the car with open recalls. And did not disclose this. 2. I’m still paying on it and they had to replace the motor on 01/31/23 recall. 3. They again sent the car home with an open recall sc212 because they didn’t have the part to remedy the recall. (Brakes) 4. My brakes went out luckily in the parking lot. 5. Called Kia Customer Service they gave me the run around hung up on me left me on hold 27 minutes first. But I finally spoke to a supervisor and they agreed to have it towed to Mike Shaw Kia were I had purchased the car and who had done all maintenance and recall work. 6. Mile Shaw called me and now wants 75.00 to even look at my car. I have a11 yr old daughter and myself I have to take to school and work. This is a major recall I refuse to jeopardize my child’s life in this vehicle but I cannot afford to pay them anything plus the car payment insurance. And now I’m walking on top of all this.
Car timing failed on the 3.3 and stalled car in the road. This is a very common problem and these need to be fixed. These cars randomly jump timing with no warning what so ever. Kia knew these were an issue and should replace the engine in my car along with everyone else that has this issue. Car is at a shop now with a confirmed jumped timing.
Replaced engine 1/31/23 had open recall per 21v331was not repaired even though they wasn’t suppose to return vehicle according to recall. They said It would be safe to drive.Said they had no remedy to fix they would call me. Few days car stalls alternator was hanging had to replace. They didn’t replace properly. With in a month cars brakes were acting weird took in for diagnostic back brakes no remedy. Call Kia still no parts for recall. Sept 11,23 was pulling off expressway during 5 o'clock traffic my brakes locked up I had no control. Towed to Kia they wanted 75. to look at it then 2700. to fix the brakes. And stated I had no brake fluid. Which was just checked. They said recall did not cover the repairs Neither the engine recall nor the brake, hecu, abs, stability control recall. I contacted Kia they told me they would get back to me. As of Oct.31,23 they had not done any repairs or response from Kia. So I traded my car back to Kia so I would have a vehicle for school and work. I’ve tried to get reimbursement from Kia. For rental car etc. And keep getting the run around. I have towing, rental, and repairs that they are refusing to reimburse me. I drove the recalled vehicle for 9 months and could have been killed myself, my daughter, as well as others. Kia could care less! I traded vehicle 10/31 the recall was cleared on my 2014 Sorento on 11/4 according to Nhtsa.gov 3 days they clear it so they could sell it. I m really disgusted with Kia. I’m out thousands of dollars for their neglect. They couldn’t repair the recall for longer than 9 months for me . But as soon as I trade it to them it’s repaired or they are lying just so they can sell it. Just like when they sold it to me with 2 open recalls without telling me it had them. What do I need to do? Suggestions? I do have more receipts and documents
UNKNOWN. I have taken my Sorento twice back to the dealership and they won’t fix recall til something happens
The engine on my 2014 Kia Sorento has failed. I brought the vehicle in to Bob Sight Kia to have them diagnose the problem. They claimed that when they drained the oil, they only found 3/4 of a quart of oil and for that reason, Kia was denying the claim for a new engine. I find it hard to believe that there was only 3/4 of a quart of oil in the car as we conducted regular maintenance on the vehicle and provided all service records. When I contacted Kia, they stated that they had not received any documentation from Bob Sight Kia, and specifically no technical details why the engine had failed, or provide an estimate for repair costs. In the last three weeks that our Sorento has been at Bob Sight Kia (brought to dealer on 9-9-23), when I call to speak with the service center point of contact, I get his voicemail or someone says he is away from his desk or on leave and nobody responds to my voicemails or emails, even though I have volunteered to provide more information if necessary. There is a Facebook page with 976 followers stating why Kia has denied their claims for replacement of failed defective engines. Fortunately, in my case, I was able to drive the car to the dealership before the engine stopped working but in many cases the engines failed while people were in busy traffic, exposing them to dangerous situations. In my case specifically the engine light started flashing and the vehicle was being very sluggish, struggled to make it up hills and would occasionally stall.
Engine was replaced in 2021 due to oil consumption issues. After copays and having a rental car for 2 months while waiting for repairs I shelled out about 7k. Now catalytic converter has failed, about one week after last oil change. Extended coverage is just over by mileage according to dealership and unsure if Kia will cover, awaiting response. After researching this issue with my vehicle, I found other owners who had the same issue and suggested it should have been replaced with engine as there was a past recall for this. Others stated that Kia is not covering even though there was a recall. Even if they covered the parts that would help substantially. Car currently at service center at Kia dealership awaiting to see if Kia will assist at good will or cover under the recall.
Catalytic Converter is out and is needing replacement. Dealership offered me $600 off which I accepted, so total repair cost will be $2650 out the door. Problem is the part is on back order until "TBD". Dealership and Kia Consumer Complaints can not give an ETA on when part is supposed to come in. Apparently there is a long list of backorders in Florida and Georgia. Kia is unwilling to work with consumers to cover either a loaner car or the part. If the part was in stock, I would have no issue. Issue is Kia requires this part to be repaired, but not only do they not have in stock, they can't even give me an estimate of when I could possibly get my car back. Their resolution is to have the consumer pay for their own rental car at $45/day until further notice, or I should explore my options for a trade in. If they're doing business this way and not valuing their customer, why would I want to start over? Kia has conducted a recall on Kia Souls for the same issue on 4/15/2022, looks like they need to go ahead and recall the Sorento's as well as there are many consumers in my same situation. So sad that Kia will not work with their customers, they should have parts in stock or readily available to be shipped. And especially if there are many people on backorder, it seems like a growing problem and Kia should be prepared for the influx. As of today, 9/19/2023, Kia Consumer Complaints has stated they have escalated my part, but still can't give me an ETA or will not offer assistance for their short comings.
The engine randomly around 45,000 miles started using large amount of oil. The engine started ticking. It is available for inspection, upon request. The safety of myself and others is put at risk as the engine is a ticking time bomb to blow up. When it first starts happening, you do not notice, as you get regular oil changes at the dealership and they never once say that your oil was dangerously low when you brought it in. The problem has been expressed to me by independent service shops as a gdi issue. I called the dealership and they said the only thing they can do is an oil consumption test for $600. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer. There are no warnings lamps that come up at all, not for low oil or anything.
Fuel pump/engine began failing before the engine locked up. I was driving down a country road and lost power. When I floored it the top speed was approx. 7 MPH. I did not have anywhere to pull over. It has been inspected by the manufacturer and they said it needs a new engine. There were no warning signs or anything. I don't know how to answer if the problem has been reproduced. Via Kia forums, this is a common issue that is usually handled with the extended warranty. I've contacted Kia and they admit I'm having issues. Quote from their email "We apologize about the issues you are having with your engine and fuel pump in your 2014 Kia Sorento."
A recalled was made on September 25th about Kia Sorento for potential fire hazard in driving or parking but up till date the recalled parts are not available at Kia dealership to fix the recall issues. Given it's fire risk, am pleading if you can follow up to make sure this problem is rectify before people's lives are affected for "A stitch in time serves nine"
At first, I thought it was due to normal wear on the vehicle. And would need a touch of paint job. I started seeing other vehicle with the same areas of paint issues on the road as mines. 2014 Kia Sorento LX - Pearl White paint peeling around windshield and off hood. Bubbles started forming form under paint and paint blisters and peels away quickly in large chunks from vehicle. Went to dealership and they told me paint is only under warranty for 36k miles, but after seeing all the complaints online with white Sorento, I realized there is a problem with KIA paint. However, they suggested calling Kia directly. When calling them they have no recall for this paint issue that has been caused by a defect in the paint that for some reason happens after their 36k miles warranty.Kia neeed to fix this issue.
Paint is peeling off of my Kia
Car recently hit 103,000 miles and was taken in for its scheduled oil change. Mechanic discovered that only a single quart of oil was left in the engine during the oil change despite regular maintenance. Metal flakes were found in the oil that was removed which points to a similar recall with the engine bearings identified in 2017. However, the VIN of this vehicle is not showing up in the recall list. Mechanic is recommending the engine be replaced in the vehicle.
On 06/23/2023 i went to team Nissan located at 70 Keller st . took it in while purchasing new tires from tire warehouse told me about repairs that needed done that was still under warranty with team Nissan. when i took it to team Nissan they refused my warranty by telling me my car issuer was not any issue that they repaired back in July of 2022 for the amount of over 2thousand dollars. team Nissan lied to me let me leave their shop knowing the dangers just because they did not want to grant my warranty which where brakes outta tie Rodes and rear light INOP charged me 45 for en inspection to deny my warranty. I still can't drive my car because team Nissan wanted me to repay for pairs that was still covered under their own warranty my vehicle only has 120 thousand miles i was still in my year frame and way less than the miles. i prefer to bring in my documents if not i must downmload at another time cant take pic ith desktop
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the engine started to overheat with the check engine and power steering warning lights illuminated. The temperature gauge indicated that the vehicle was running hot(H). There was white smoke coming from the engine. Due to the failure, the contact pulled over and initially had the vehicle towed to the. The vehicle was later towed to an independent mechanic where the contact was informed that the head gasket was blown and needed to be replaced. While attempting to repair the vehicle, the contact was informed that the rod bearings were also defective and that the engine needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 133,000.
In May of 2021 my 2014 Kia Sorrento had major engine problems. I brought it to Myrtle Beach Kia immediately and after 5 months of back and forth and paying for rental vehicles, I was told that they would not cover any repairs due to the Recall! I then paid $8, 663.63 for a repair that was never fully completed. Immediately after receiving vehicle back, check engine light was on. Numerous call to the dealership and I was told dont worry it just needs to cycle through. My vehicle has NEVER been properly serviced by them. I have kept up will all oil changes and maintenance in the meantime. I was told the check engine light codes were PO335 & PO 0018. I have had the Camshaft Bank Sensor and Crankshaft sensor replaced on [XXX] and this vehicle STILL has same check engine light on and is not receiving proper power while driving. I looked up recalls and found that currently recall 21 V331000 is in effect, this recall is a major safety issue especially being that I have 3 children that I drive around in and there may be a fire! I called Myrtle Beach Kia and the earliest they can get me in to service is a month from now, on [XXX]!! I feel that especially after everything I have been put through with this vehicle and the amount of money I have put out, that a loaner car would be offered to me to drive while waiting for them to fix the safety recall. Please contact me at [XXX] or [XXX] and please contact kia to allow a loaner vehicle to be used while waiting almost 1 month for the service. Thank You in advance for hopefully your concern and remedy to this. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
We bought the car 6 months ago from a dealership and since then the breaks are bad the engine makes this strange noise it always smells like oil is burning. The seat belts don't stay latch and I hr suspension is all over the place.
Well my boyfriend and I where getting the car straightened up swept out wiped down and cleaned up and drove it from one part of our yard to the other and we had to finish what we where doing before that so and hour or so later when my. Boy friend went to go finish the car he realized there was smoke coming from the driver's side and opened the front door and the whole front driver seat was on fire so we got it put out and then we realized we needed to get the car as far away from the house as we could as soon as we got the fire out so I found a lid to it on I had to push a release button under the shifter to move it outta park and stear it away from any other houses or objects so we did that and then the lights for the heated seats on the driver's side came on again without the key that I know of being in it or nothen and it just being on fire so we u plugged to battery and called kia and a town truck
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving at approximately 25 MPH and making a turn, the engine seized. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was an internal engine failure, connecting rod damage, and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case, but no additional assistance was provided. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V224000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.
My kia Sorento is severely peeling paint. it comes off in chunks. Since it has starting peeling above the passengers side door, it has not stopped. I saw that several other people have had this complaint and Kia has not fixed it yet. Kia will not agree to fix the paint job. My car has a SWP color on it and won’t stop peeling.
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while the engine hood was opened and raised, the hydraulic hood lift struts failed causing the hood to close down onto the contact's right hand. The contact's hand was trapped under the hood for approximately 30 minutes before help arrived. During the incident, the contact sustained a bruised right hand which did not require medical treatment. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 30,000.
Engine seized. No check engine lights on. Was driving and it made an awful noise and that was it. We have not drove it since. Took it to our local auto mechanic he refused to touch it. Told us it needed a new engine. We are an hour and half a way from a kia dealership. We can't afford to have ot towed that far. I am making payments on a car that i can not drive. I have called kia many times to see what to do. They said to have it towed to a dealership. We live on a limited income. I keep checking to see if my car is on the recall list it is not but should be. It has done what all the other engines that have been recalled have done.
head bolts broke and ran hot,
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power, stalled, and shut off. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to safely pull over on the side of roadway. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle restarted rough, but then started operating normally. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis, but no cause for the failure was found. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 41,000. The contact went to the dealer who was going to charge 1hr out of 3hrs, if they found anything wrong with the vehicle. They didn't find anything and released the vehicle to the contact stating they would not take off immobilizer, now and go do what u have to do. The contact stated because of this the vehicle was traded in.
The body of vehicle has paint chipping away in large pieces for no apparent reason. The color is a pearl white
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to accelerate, the contact heard an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine compartment, and the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power and was only able to accelerate to 30 MPH. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who retrieved DTC code: P1326. After investigation, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V224000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,800.
when I purchased the vehicle the check engine light came on the day after. It would come on and off as I would start and turn off the vehicle. The salesman told me that the check engine light was still on because they had just serviced it and it needed to be reset. No driving problems occurred until a year later. I took the vehicle to be diagnosed three times by three different auto mechanics. There was a recall on the vehicle that is no longer a recall. The Kia dealership service department told me that I would have to pay thousands of dollars to do a engine breakdown to see what the root problem is. The vehicle will not drive far anymore so I do not drive it and I'm still paying for it.
Had been getting “BSD” disabled messages while driving on expressway for several months, dealer inspected twice and found nothing. On May 30, 2023 while driving on street rear differential locked not allowing rear wheel rotation for short period ( 2 street blocks ), then resumed operation but with a high pitch squealing. On May 31, 2023 l took vehicle to dealer requesting a full inspection of the differential, mileage at 133367. I was immediately told that the differential is a sealed unit and could not be inspected, but they recommended a transmission force flush, a complete fuel system flush, plus an oil and filter change. I agreed to service, but insisted they needed to test drive vehicle. Dealer called me back same day indicating vehicle ready. We picked up vehicle, $600.93 cost. We were told everything checked out fine. On way home upon entering expressway just a mile away from dealer, rear differential locked up again!! We immediately pulled over to shoulder, Had we been on expressway, our vehicle would have been rear ended ! I called dealer to come pick up vehicle, they sent a tow truck & vehicle was brought back to dealer. Dealer confirmed rear differential was seazed and would have to be replaced. A week later they called to inform us that the front differential/transfer case had also failed and also needed to be replaced. Two weeks later, on June 17, 2023 vehicle repairs were finally completed at cost this time of $7292.60, totaling $7893.53 including initial repair costs. Mileage is now at 138320, and vehicle has once again begun to display “BSD” disabled messages. Differential has been making engagement/disengagement clicking sounds as if their is a lot of backlash/slop between gears.
UNKNOWN. I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE ENGINE JUST SHUT OFF. WHEN I TRIED TO START IT I COULD NOT. TRIED TO JUMPSTART BUT STILL WOULD NOT START. I HAD IT TOWED TO MY MECHANIC AND HE ADVISED THAT THE ENGINE SEIZED AND THERE IS A RECALL FOR THIS. RECALL #SC 147.
My son was driving the vehicle and was luckily stopped in traffic at a stop light. All of a sudden the RPM's dropped and the engine shut off. The car would not start and had to be pushed to the side of the road in heavy traffic. While waiting for a tow truck, we noticed the engine oil was completely dry. There had been no warning such as oil lights, engine lights, burning oil smells or leaking oil. The oil had just disappeared without warning. After the vehicle was towed to the local KIA dealer, we were told that the engine had seized. This vehicle has been maintained consistently since the day it was bought brand new. We have records from all maintenance that has been done on this vehicle. The local dealer told us it would cost $11,000 to replace the engine. Unfortunately, that was an expense that we could not afford so the car sits in non working order.
The low beam headlights are very dim at night time. The inside reflective coating of the projector headlights has deteriorated over time.
Kia Corporate Complaint No. [XXX] We bought a used but Kia certified 2014 Kia Sorento with 29K mileage in Jul 2017. Ran great but check engine light came on 3 times. Well before 100K mileage, we took it to dealer service department and we’re advised it was an ‘electrical problem’ that reported a false code. Each time the check engine light was reset. Car ran great except for the false trouble lights. We were told that if the light did not blink, not really a problem. At 120K mileage, we got a code and took car to local garage. Mechanic changed 6 plugs but advised that No. 6 coil may need to be replaced. At 122K miles, 3 weeks ago, we got a solid check engine light but with a serious female voice and pop up screen advising we get to Kia dealer. This time code was run by our local mechanic for clogged catalytic converter. We drove to Kia dealer and they ran code for fouled fuel injector for cost of $1,000. We left car parked at dealer and called Kia USA Corporate in CA. We got a complaint number with assurance Kia would contact us. Nothing in 3 weeks. Local dealer says no recalls of V6 engine but we see reports on line of a known fire problem. We fear driving car should the catalytic converter catch fire. Help! [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Knocking Sensor Detection. Loud knocking noise associated with flashing check engine light.
Engine control module when it fails vehicle will lose power and drops engine compression causing a danger to other traffic. I was on I-10 on Sunday morning at 60 mi. when all of a sudden it slowed down to 20mi causing other drivers too maneuver around me to avoid from colliding into my SUV. Had engine control module checked out and was advised me to take in to dealer to have it reprogramed or replaced. Either will be an expense I just cant afford replacing it would cost me over 2000.00 and reprograming any where from 200 to 500. If Im not wrong a recall for software added to engine control module was done around 2020 didnt that up.
The Paint above the front windshield is chipping and continues to get worst with rust and paint. I've seen multiple Kia Sorento just like my model with the same issue. My paint began peeling in a tiny spot I thought was a chip from a rock but rapidly began peeling all over. KIA SORENTO SNOW WHITE PAINT PEELING CHIPPING AND DELAMINATION. I believe the ENTIRE kia needs to repainted and fixing one spot is not the solution!! This includes the top of the car and racks on top, Mine are silver and peeling .
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that after an oil change and driving approximately 1,200 miles, there was no oil in the engine. The contact stated that there was no visible oil leak. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 153,000.
On 5/8/2023 I was driving on the freeway going about 70 to 75 MPH. All of a sudden the car stopped accelerating and the engine just stopped working. I costed somehow to the side of the freeway until a tow truck could arrive. There was no warning, until this happened. Car was running perfect up to this point. By the grace of God, I wasn't hit and no one was hurt. I honestly thought I was going to die and or take others with me. There was quite a bit of traffic and everyone had to swerve out of the way to avoid hitting me. This is a 2014 Kia Sorento that has been well cared for with 140K miles. Now I have no car. Being told I need a new engine that could cost up to $ 10K. This car is not worth that much.
The contact’s son owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while his son was driving 65 MPH, the vehicle shuddered, and the engine seized. The check engine and the low oil pressure warning lights were illuminated. The contact’s son was able to veer to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the engine had seized and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 91,089.
After a loud bang in rear of my 2014 KIA Sorento car while driving on freeway, I pulled over. It was towed to KIA. They found catastrophic failure of rear diff. Rear axle snapped. We were told front axle was a recall but not rear. We had to pay over $7,000 to get the vehicle out of shop and incurred over $700 in car rental because KIA did not have loaner car for me. There have been complaints of the rear axles online. I sent all this same paperwork to KIA in Irvine, Ca certified on Jan. 18, 2024. Have not heard from them yet. Sincerely, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The engine seized up. The issue may be due to a design problem with all Kia engines. Here's what the service technician at the Kia dealership told me: 1) There is a pin on the cam shaft that keeps it in place; 2) Over time it moves, and gets sheared off; 3) When the pin is sheared off, the cam shaft spins out of time; 4) That causes the valves to slam into the pistons and bends the valves; 5) After the valves are bent, the engine has no compression; 6) The engine needs to be replaced or the car needs to be junked. The service tech says he had seen it happen quite a bit with all Kia models. In other words, it's a design flaw. There are other ways to keep the cam shaft in place, which are used by other manufacturers.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026